The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid into the hair of an individual, and particularly a device which facilitates thorough and complete contact between the fluid and the entire mass of hair, down to the scalp.
There are a variety of hair care products, including conditioners, dyes, shampoos, etc., which will be most effective if they can be dispensed fully into hair, from the tips down to the roots. When an individual has hair which is long and/or thick, it is often difficult to fully achieve this result.
A considerable variety of dispensing devices has already been proposed in the art, a relevant example being that disclosed in French Patent No. 2,422,359. This patent discloses a structure including a comb part provided with teeth, the teeth having narrow passages of uniform diameter via which a product is dispensed. A container of a substance to be dispensed may be removably attached, by a threaded connection, to the comb part. The container is basically a rigid body having a limited portion which is flexible and deformable. Squeezing of this flexible and deformable portion acts to dispense a fluid product through the passages in the comb teeth. Because only a limited portion of the container is flexible and deformable, it is not possible to compress the container to the extent desired to dispense a large proportion of the product contained therein. Therefore, in the use of this device, a considerable amount of product will be left in the container, resulting in uneconomical and inefficient utilization of that product.
Another device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,667,631. This device includes a comb having fine teeth at one end and coarse teeth at the other end, with only the coarse teeth being provided with dispensing passages. These dispensing passages extend along a substantial portion of the length of each coarse tooth to a location near the end thereof, where they terminate in transverse passages. The longitudinal passages have a constant cross section. Fabrication of passages of this type is extremely difficult to achieve and would require a costly manufacturing procedure.
A number of other devices of this type have been proposed, all of which are relatively complex and/or inconvenient to use.